Canucks Game Day: Loui Eriksson Returns to Boston

After scoring his first goal since Jan. 15 in a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Loui Eriksson will try to carry the momentum over against his old team.

Just when you were ready to count the Vancouver Canucks out, Loui Eriksson strikes back and the team pulls off a surprising road victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Eriksson had gone eight-straight games without a goal and seven games without a point, but that all ended Thursday. The key now is to try and sustain that momentum when he visits the Boston Bruins — where he spent three seasons.

So far, Eriksson’s tenure with the Canucks has been a forgetful one. The team signed him a six-year contract worth $36 million. He’s on pace to finish with just 17 goals and 33 points — a far cry from the 30 goals and 63 points he put up in Boston a year ago.

Playing with fellow Swedes Daniel and Henrik Sedin hasn’t exactly worked out as advertised. But if Eriksson can get a hat trick in Boston, that puts him on pace for 20 goals! You never know what could happen. Maybe Eriksson will get hot again, and it could start against his old team that happens to be a huge rival of the Canucks.

Brad Marchand: One of the many players a lot of Canuck fans love to hate. Marchand had a goal in each of the two meetings against Vancouver last season.

David Pastrnak: He’s sizzling hot with eight points in his last three games. He also has 13 points in his last eight games.

WHO’S ON DEFENCE:

Zdeno Chara: Chara had three points in last Saturday’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs — but he still has just 15 on the season. He also has a minus-four rating in his last six games against Vancouver.

WHO’S IN NET:

Tuukka Rask: The Bruins star goalie hasn’t been himself as of late. He’s 2-2-0 in his last four outings, allowing an astonishing 15 total goals.

While a handful of Canucks players will always have sad memories of TD Garden, it was a special place for Loui Eriksson from 2013-14 to 2015-16.

Every Canucks fan is familiar with the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. Vancouver failed to win just one game in Beantown that would have made them Stanley Cup champions. Boston outscored Vancouver 17 to 3 (!) in Games 3, 4 and 6.

The Canucks have taken three of the four meetings in Boston since, however. So maybe playing at TD Garden isn’t as daunting as it used to be.